Jean Elizabeth Hampton was an American political philosopher. Author of Hobbes and the Social Contract Tradition, Political Philosophy, The Authority of Reason, The Intrinsic Worth of Persons and, with Jeffrie G Murphy, Forgiveness and Mercy.

Main Theory

She subscribed to the Moral Education theory of punishment, where the goal is to first educate the criminal and then secondly educate society about the morally wrong action that has been done by the criminal. This theory does not condone 'pain' inflicted punishment, nor does it believe that incarceration is always the answer. The theory states that all criminals even if they have wronged society, are still due their autonomous rights guaranteed them by the state, and it is the state's duty to uphold the moral education of the criminal the best way that they can.

External links

• Jean Elizabeth Hampton - memorial in the Proceedings and Addresses of the APA.
• Jean Hampton - obituary in the Bulletin of the Hume Society.